Match Previews

Match Preview | Cheltenham Town v Bristol Rovers

6th October

Cheltenham Town v Bristol Rovers
Vertu Trophy, The EV Charger Points Stadium, Tuesday 7 October 2025, 7:00pm KO

Bristol Rovers will look to return to winning ways when they travel to Cheltenham Town in the Vertu Trophy.

The Gas were on a superb run of form and had been unbeaten in eight fixtures in all competitions, winning five matches from seven outings in Sky Bet League Two before falling to a 2-1 defeat to Walsall in their last outing.

The Pirates went ahead through Fabrizio Cavegn, who finished low into the bottom corner for his fourth goal in as many games, but a second-half brace from Aaron Pressley helped the Saddlers to all three points.

Darrell Clarke's men earned two points from their opening match in Southern Section Group B of the Vertu Trophy, coming from three goals behind to draw 4-4 with Tottenham Hotspur U21s before winning on penalties.

Read everything you need to know about the fixture below!

Tickets...

Tickets for the fixture will be available until half-time on Cheltenham's website here! You can also purchase tickets at the ticket booth by the entrance to the away end.

Travel...

To get from Bristol to Cheltenham Town's The EV Charger Points Stadium by car, take the M5 motorway northbound from Bristol. Continue on the M5 for about 40 miles, then take exit 11 for the A40 toward Cheltenham. Follow the A40 and then take the A46 into the town centre. From there, follow signs for Whaddon Road or The EV Charger Points Stadium. The stadium is located on Whaddon Road, northeast of the town centre.

Opposition...

Life back at Cheltenham could not have been much better for Steve Cotterill. Back at the Robins for the first time since guiding the club to three promotions between 1997 and 2002, the 61-year-old guided Cheltenham to a 2-0 victory over Fleetwood Town thanks to goals from Isaac Hutchinson and Josh Martin.

Cheltenham's second win of the season pushed them one point above Shrewsbury Town and out of the relegation zone by one point, with the Robins looking to recover after a difficult start to the season.

Michael Flynn departed the club after his side had lost nine of their first 12 games in all competitions, before seeing two red cards in a 7-1 defeat away to Grimsby Town under the caretaker management of Aaron Downes and Ashley Vincent.

Cheltenham lost their first game of their Vertu Trophy campaign against Plymouth Argyle, with Lorent Tolaj scoring twice.

Previous Meetings...

The Pirates have met Cheltenham twice in recent years in the Vertu Trophy, with both matches coming at The Memorial Stadium. The Gas won 2-0 in 2021 after goals from Sam Nicholson and Harvey Saunders, before a thumping 4-1 triumph in 2023. James Gibbons, Antony Evans and Aaron Collins all netted for the Gas, with Rob Street netting an own goal to complete the scoring.

Rovers have lost just one of their last 11 games against Cheltenham in all competitions, with the Gas earning a 3-1 win on their previous trip to the Robins. Cheltenham last beat Rovers at home in 2008, with Barry Hayles netting a brace in a 2-1 victory, with Rickie Lambert getting the consolation for the Gas.